Fish first or coral first?

[TXReefer]

Hi there:

Another easy Q for you....

I haven't put any thing in my 55g tank yet, and am wondering which I should put first. I am planning on putting a pair of clown, a few green chromis, and possibly a flame hawk.

My question is, should I put the fishes first, or should I put the corals (soft + stony) first?? :confused: In addition, should I also put anemone first to host the clowns?

Thank you so much for your help!!

[ron4675]

IMO I would put the fish in first. Some may say the other way around but depending on how long the tank was cycled etc. the flucuations in water quality will occur when adding fish. If the corals are already there and you add several fish at once than your water quality could change and the corals may be harmed. I would add the fish one or two at a time over a couple of weeks / months (although with a 55g 4 - 5 small fish won't have too much bioload with proper filtration) then let them settle in for a month or two to make sure they are doing good. I know from personal experince that a fish can seem to be doing great for a couple of days then die somewhere behind a rock and that can really screw up the quality of your water. Once the water is stable for a month or more depending on how you feel start adding corals.:D

[JohnL]

How long has the tank been setup?

What corals are you thinking of adding?

[TXReefer]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm just planning ahead. I have spent over 3 months trying to set up my "future" tank right in order to avoid much modification in the future.

At this stage, the *only" things I've done is the hardware part. I've installed all the eqipment I need in place and have dry run the tank using fresh water. The very next step for me is to put LR.

However that part I feel more difficult is the coral part. John you asked me what type of coral I plan to keep. I am still thinking about it and I still lack the knowledge and need a lot of reading. But the eventual goal I have in mind is "variety". :p

Any suggestion?

[Skipper]

Hey TXReefer.
I really don't think it is that big of an issue on which you should add first: fish or coral.